By CHIDINMA UCHECHUKWUMGEMEZU

The Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality has recommended various sums as compensation to 125 petitioners who complained about injustices meted on them by men of the police force.

This is out of the 154 petitions received by Justice Florence Duruoha-Igwe led panel.

The panel was set up to address the grievances arising from the protest over brutality by men of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian police.

Secretary to the panel, Mr Isaac Oguzie, told our correspondent in an exclusive interview that 20 of the petitions were struck out for lacking in merit while nine memos were received from interested stakeholders.

The memos, according to him, were from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the National Council for Women Societies (NCWS), Youth for Positive Action and Students Union Government.

Others were from local government areas and the police whose facilities were destroyed during the protests.

Oguzie said that despite summons to answer petitions against them by communities in Mbaitoli Local Government Area, the army authorities refused to appear before the panel.

He added, however, that though the police were represented by their counsel, all the police officers mentioned in various petitions refused to appear.

Oguzie said, “The Commission has ended its sitting and out of the 154 petitions received, 125 were awarded various sums as a compensation for the wrongs they suffered in the hands of police while 20 were dismissed or struck out for lacking in substance.

“Though the panel recommended the monetary awards, it’s left for the government to decide,” he added.

The commission was inaugurated on November 3 2020 and concluded its assignment on May 4, 2021. (Agency report)

Update news